Visual Journal

After five exhausting weeks filming in Africa, I got to drive more than a thousand miles up the California Coast with friends of more than 20 years

Ocean Beach, San Diego

Coast lines

Open road

Big Sur

Barefoot free climbing

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Oakland

Dolores Park, SF

Spent 5 nights hiking and camping on The Lost Coast Trail, the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in California

Slept outside next to the fire and under the stars

Where ecosystems collide

Washed up whale

Washed up redwood tree

"It is a rare and precious thing to awaken at the confluence of two streams, to merge minds at a watery intersection in time, between the fading play of light and shadow. It is an even rarer and more precious thing to practice this rite deep in the woods, with two of your childhood friends". –Rob Bethea

After the Lost Coast we spent a night under the redwoods in Humboldt State Park

Spent 10 days in South Africa filming and learning about apartheid-born, energy giant Sasol and the township of Zamdela, a polluted community in Sasolburg. Sasol is building the largest foreign owned plant in the US, directly on top of Mossville, an historic African American community in Louisiana.

Durban, SA

Kruger, SA

Had a free day at the end of the trip and drove to Kruger National Park

Spent three weeks in Morocco filming a story about the migrant/refugee crises. Recently, European nations have become overwhelmed with the numbers of Africans fleeing war and poverty, and far from the attention of the global media, have started pushing migrants and refugees back across the border into Morocco. Spanish officials, operating on Moroccan soil, are then free to carry out abuses that would be punishable under E.U. law, brutally beating and even killing those who dare to make a second attempt at crossing.

Had the honor of capturing the beautiful union of my dear friends atop a waterfall in Asheville, NC and made this video as their wedding present. Only the maid of honor, best man, officiator, officiator's wife, and I were present. Oh yeah, and Walter the dog :)

Spent a couple nights in the mountains with my family following my cousins wedding

I was hired to make a promotional video for the International High School of New Orleans. Instead of making another generic commercial, we decided to let the students create it. They interviewed their teachers, admins and classmates, I taught them how to use the camera, lights and mics, and this is what we made.

I don't think I've ever worked on a more fun project. I was constantly in awe of these young people's creativity, intelligence and positivity.

I was hired to make a fundraising video for a legendary, abandoned building in what was once New Orleans' Storyville neighborhood. It is a space where some of the greatest jazz innovators and pioneers, like Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton created and performed in. I got to meet some of present day's jazz greats in the process, as well as spend time in an old abandoned building with a lot of history (something I always loved to do!).